Monthly Archive for November 2010
I met Catie and Scott at the Hay Adams Hotel in the spring for a drink and had a great feeling after our initial conversation. As with them I like to meet with every couple I work with so we can get to know each other better. It really helps to build the mutual trust that makes my job easier.
They planned an intimate indoor wedding during the late fall at the Hay Adams. Just before the ceremony got started they stole away upstairs with just their immediate family and a few witnesses as they signed the ketubah with the rabbi. From that point they were officially married (and giddy).
I really enjoyed spending the day with them along with fellow photographer Andrew Harnik who was with Scott as he was getting ready while I was with Catie. It was a lot of fun to be around them. Catie likes to laugh a lot and I swear that she and Scott kissed more almost anyone I’ve photographed before. It was great! They’d laugh a bit, kiss a bit, laugh some more and all was right with the world.
Before the ceremony we ventured across H Street to Lafayette Park for some family portraits and some alone time for the bride and groom. The leaves were glowing in the afternoon sun and had hung on long enough to give us a nice backdrop. After that the rest of the day just flowed naturally.
Melissa and Tyler were married at the Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistano, CA followed by a reception at the Vintage Steak house just a few blocks away. After the ceremony we spent some time in the Mission which is an amazing place founded in 1776 by Spanish Catholics. It is also home to the oldest building in California still in use, known as Serra’s Chapel which was built in 1782.
Michael and Chris were married at Woodend Sanctuary at dusk surrounded by their closest family and friends. It was a beautiful ceremony which was followed by an amazing multi-course dinner with wine pairings and some very entertaining toasts.
Today I read a short but powerful story about a couple who fell in love quickly but faced a challenge that most of us have never even considered. The bride to be, when faced with planning a wedding, did not want to take any time from her fiancé who was fighting a rare form of cancer. She reached out to a nonprofit that stages free ceremonies for couples in which one person has a serious illness. In her application she said, “We realize that the only time we have together is right now, and we want to spend the rest of each other’s lives together.” They were married in October.
A link to the story in Parade Magazine and the organization Wish Upon a Wedding.
About Jay Premack
Jay is an unobtrusive documentarian, who insists that the best pictures happen when events unfold naturally. As an individual, Jay is pretty laid back, a demeanor that’s ideal for weddings. Amidst orchestrated chaos, he’s a calming presence.
Learn more about Jay